Lighting device



Feb. 21, 1933. 5 K W 1,898,842

LIGHTING DEVICE Filed April 10, 1931 JfiZEfx/TOR.

NLOW Patented Feb. 21, 1933 PATENT OFFICE SAHN K. LOWE, OF HONOLULU,TERRITORY OF HAWAII LIGHTING DEVICE Application filed April 10,

This invention relates to improvements in lighting devices and hasparticular reference to means for lighting the side of a motor vehiclewhereby the signalling arm of the driver will be readily visible frompoints in front or in the rear of the vehicle.

A further object is to produce a device of this character wherein thelights will be entirely protected from coming into contact withobstructions or being knocked against, as well as from weather elements,by being disposed into suitably covered pockets arranged in the fendersat or adjacent to their juncture with the running board of the vehicle.

A further object is to produce a device wherein the rays of illuminationwill not be blinding to either the driver of the vehicle or to thedriver of any other vehicle approaching the machine.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

The figure is a side elevation of a motor vehicle having my inventionapplied thereto.

In driving a motor vehicle, it is now required in many States, that thedriver must signal his intentions of turning or stopping" by holding thehand in certain designated positions just previous to the contemplatedmaneuver. At night time it is often very diflicult to see the hand ofthe driver, particularly to a following machine, and applicant hasprovided a novel arrangement of lighting which lighting will fullyilluminate the hand and arm of the signalling driver, without in anymanner causing confusing rays of illumination which would beobjectionable to any driver, either of the machine itself, or of anapproaching machine.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates amotor vehicle as a whole having a running board 6, front and rearfenders 7 and 8 respectively. The fenders on 1931. Serial No. 528,199.

the drivers side of the vehicle are pierced so as to provide openingsinto which reflectors 1n the form of pockets 9 and 11 are inserted; onereflector being in the front fender, and arranged at an upward andrearward angle ad acent to the juncture of the front fender with therunning board and the other reflector being in the rear fender andarranged at an upward and forward angle at the j uncture of the rearfender With the running board. It will be noted that the reflector orpocket 9 has its lower wall longer than its upper wall, and thereflector 11 has its upper wall longer than its lower wall. Within eachof these reflectors is positioned a bulb as shown at 12 and 13, whichbulb is connected to the battery of the car and the circuit iscontrolled by any convenient switch so that the lights will beilluminated only when desired; as for instance, during night driving. Inpractice a glass lens is placed over the bulb to thus eliminate dangerof water and dirt filling up the reflectors and short circuiting thebulbs. The result of this inserting of the reflectors and the lightswithin the fenders is that the bulb 12 will cause rays of illuminationor beam of light to extend from the reflector 9 to the line X X asindicated in dotted lines while rays of illumination from the bulb 13will cause rays of illumination to extend from the reflector 11 to theline X X as shown in dotted lines. As the line X X is substantially thepath in which the operator will move his hand in signalling, it will beapparent that both the front and back of the hand and arm will be fullyilluminated, and therefore, readily visible for a considerable distance,and that due to the annular placing of these reflectors the rays ofillumination will not interfere with an on-coming vehicle.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In means for illuminatingthe side of a vehicle body and the hand of the operator of 5 the vehiclewhen rojected outwardly and laterally for signal ing purposes,comprising reflectors in the form of pockets set in the fenders on thesaid side of the vehicle with the upper edges of. the pockets arrangedflush with the upper surfaces of the fenders respectively, light bulbsarranged in the pockets, one pocket being disposed at an upward andrearward angle adjacent to the juncture of the front fender with therunning board and having its lower wall longer than its upper wall andthe other pocket being disosed at an upward and forward angle at theuncture of the rear fender with the running board and having its upperwall longer than its lower wall whereby two beams of light will bedirected in converging relation to illuminate the side of the vehiclebody and to intersect in a plane substantially in the ath in which theoperator will move his hand outwardly for signalling purposes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SAHN K. LOWE.

